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Aerial Lift Bridge

Watch the lift span rise 135 feet to let lake freighters pass through the Duluth Ship Canal into the harbor.

S Lake Ave over the Duluth Ship Canal, Canal Park · Duluth, MN

About Aerial Lift Bridge

The Aerial Lift Bridge carries Lake Avenue across the Duluth Ship Canal, linking Canal Park with Park Point. It began in 1905 as the country's first transporter bridge and was converted to a vertical lift bridge in 1929 and 1930, and today its span rises the full 135 feet in about a minute. You can watch ships pass beneath it from the canal pier, and the free Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center beside the canal explains the bridge and Great Lakes shipping.

#lift bridge
#ship watching
#landmark
#lake superior

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What's around here?

The closest stops to Aerial Lift Bridge, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

Sightseeing
Local Gem
Canal Park
No admission fee
Stroll the Lakewalk, watch ships pass the lighthouse pier, and browse shops and restaurants in old Duluth warehouses.
Transit: reachable by public transit
Right next doorMore like this
Attractions
Family Favorite
Adventure Zone Duluth
Under $25
An indoor family entertainment venue in Duluth's Canal Park, part of the Grandma's Restaurant Company family.
Transit: reachable by public transit
0.3 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions
Theater & Events
Family Favorite
Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC)
$25–$50
Duluth's waterfront arena and convention complex on Harbor Drive, home to AMSOIL Arena, Symphony Hall and the William A. Irvin ship.
Transit: reachable by public transit
0.3 mi awaySwitch it up: Theater & Events
Attractions
Family Favorite
Great Lakes Aquarium
Under $25
A freshwater aquarium on Duluth's harbor featuring over 250 species from the Great Lakes region.
Transit: reachable by public transit
0.3 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions
Sightseeing
Outdoor Adventure
Hayward
No admission fee
A Wisconsin Northwoods lake town known for fishing, forests, and the Hayward Lakes chain.
60 mi awayMore like this
Sightseeing
Bayfield County Tourism Visitor Information Center
No admission fee
The county tourism office in Washburn, Wisconsin, with visitor information for Bayfield County and the Lake Superior shore.
63 mi awayMore like this